Fairbanks Road Defect Accident Attorney Ready To Help You
When you get into your vehicle, you expect the roads and highways you drive on to be designed and maintained with your safety in mind. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. When roadways are improperly designed, constructed, or maintained, accidents can result. If you have been involved in an accident due to a road defect, a Fairbanks road defect accident attorney can help.
We believe you deserve compensation for your injuries and will work with you from beginning to end to ensure you receive just compensation. We understand what a difficult time this is for you, and that you may be facing medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
At Ringstad Law Office, P.C., an experienced Fairbanks road defect accident attorney knows how to uncover who is at fault in your case; we are skilled negotiators as well as aggressive litigators and will use our experience and knowledge to your advantage.
Local and state government authorities are responsible for road conditions and must follow national and state standards for design, construction, and maintenance of the nation’s roadways. Further, tax dollars are spent to ensure the roads are safe for all those who travel them. In fact, current state and federal laws mandate that all public entities be charged with keeping our public roadways safe for those who travel them. This responsibility includes doing everything possible to maintain our American roadways in a way which maximizes safety and minimizes the potential for serious or fatal accidents.
Structural or design flaws, as well as maintenance issues on the road, can include:
- Inadequate lighting;
- Faulty signage which fails to notify drivers of dangers or unpredictability of the road ahead;
- Dangerous or inadequate signals;
- Poorly designed intersections with a history of being deadly;
- Faded lines on roads;
- Potholes;
- Excessive debris;
- Improperly maintained roads;
- Trees or bushes hindering the ability to see oncoming traffic;
- Lack of adequate signage;
- Broken road surfaces;
- Shoulder drop-off;
- Lack of warning regarding known hazards, or
- Excessive oil or gravel on the road.
Such road design defects or inadequate maintenance are often the cause of minor to serious accidents, yet without an experienced Fairbanks road defect accident attorney by your side, it would certainly be a mistake to file a lawsuit against a public entity on your own. Lawsuits directed at governmental agencies are full of special complexities and have procedural differences from a typical lawsuit filed against a business or individual.
The Driver’s Responsibility
As a driver on the roadways, you have a responsibility to maintain your automobile properly and drive in a safe and responsible manner. While many accidents are caused by nothing more than driver error—and the driver responsible must accept the blame—there are a good number of accidents which have nothing to do with driver error and the responsible governmental entity must accept the blame. When a road design defect causes an accident, it may be overlooked as the definitive cause simply because it can be challenging to prove.
A highly experienced Ringstad Law Office, P.C Fairbanks road defect accident attorney will have a solid understanding of all the nuances encompassing an accident caused by a road design defect and is aware that it can be difficult to prove (unless the defect has prior documentation but was not corrected). Most insurance companies decide fault and blame based primarily on a police report, but in truth, most police officers have neither the time nor the expertise to determine the cause of an accident unless it is quite obvious. Such cases require knowledgeable legal counsel who has experience gathering the complex evidence necessary to make your lawsuit successful—Ringstad Law Office, P.C. can do all this and more.
What Are Typical Road Design Defects?
In addition to some of the more common issues noted above, an improperly graded curve can cause an auto accident as can the lack of adequate drainage. Signs can be obscured by trees or other foliage which were not properly trimmed, and there can be serious dips in the road which were not marked and ended up causing an accident because a driver was unaware of the dip and may have been traveling too fast for the current road conditions.
In some cases, unmarked or blind entries onto a roadway can be responsible for serious auto accidents. Uneven pavement—not usually a problem for automobiles—can be a serious problem for a motorcyclist who is unaware of the varying heights. The lack of a proper shoulder on the road can also cause a collision to occur.
When You Need Help with Your Fairbanks Road Defect Accident
An attorney from Ringstad Law Office, P.C. will work hard to pursue those who are responsible for your accident, allowing you to spend your time recovering from your injuries. We believe you deserve justice and we will always protect your rights and your future, while ensuring the roads are safe for all those living in Fairbanks, Alaska.
If poor road design, negligence, or known road defects were responsible for your accident, you deserve compensation from the responsible entity. Such accidents can lead to traumatic injuries, staggering medical expenses, loss of a regular paycheck, and even chronic pain and emotional suffering.
If you believe road conditions were a factor in your auto accident, you may have only six months to file a notice of your intent to bring a lawsuit. Due to the statutes of limitations and the complexities of such cases, you must have an attorney who understands which experts to work with and how to conduct an investigation of potentially dangerous road designs and defects. Contact Ringstad Law Office, P.C. today for a free consultation.
We want to hear about your accident—the consultation is completely confidential. We will listen to the facts of your accident, then provide a comprehensive evaluation of your potential claim. Since we work on a contingency fee basis, you do not pay until we obtain compensation on your behalf.
Defective roads endanger the entire public, and government agencies must pay compensation when their negligence causes injury. Contact an experienced Fairbanks, Alaska attorney from Ringstad Law Office, P.C. today.
